The Margarita
The Margarita is the pearl of the cocktail world–simple, beautiful, and often fake. The original Margarita is sweetened only by Triple sec and whatever the fresh lime juice brings. The salted-rim of the glass has come under much scrutiny, but salt is an essential complement to the tequila. And the only ice in a true Margarita is left in the Boston shaker after pouring.
The Classic Margarita
Ingredients
- 2 oz. *blanco* (white) or *plata* (sliver) tequila
- 1 oz. Triple sec
- 1 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice
- 1 Tbs. coarse salt on platter
- 1 lime wedge
- enough ice to fill 1/3 of the large Boston shaker cup
- 1–2 tsp. agave syrup (optional)
Directions
- Take the lime wedge and run the pulp over the rim of a [rocks glass][].
- Twist the rim of the glass over the coarse salt.
- Pour the tequila, triple sec, and lime juice into the ice-filled Boston shaker cup and shake well. For a sweeter margarita add agave syrup before shaking.
- Pour the liquid carefully into the salt-rimmed glass, squeeze lime wedge over the drink.
- Enjoy.
This is extremely enjoyable to drink, but squeezing the limes (I’ve found one and-a-half to two limes yields 1 oz. of juice) is time-consuming, to say the least. I’ve allowed myself to substitute 2 oz of **Newman’s Own** limeade instead, which creates a much sweeter drink, but is far easier to make. If I only use an ounce of it, the lime flavor is overwhelmed by the other ingredients. As a time-saving bonus, though, since I keep the limeade in the fridge, I can pour the ingredients straight into a glass. The extra ounce of limeade then replaces the melted ice from the shaking process. This version is a shadow of the classic, but sometimes the limes just aren’t there, and a man is in a mood for a drink.
[rocks glass]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Fashioned_glass